Spontaneous-combustion studies of US coals. Rept. of Investigations/1987

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6055355

Smith, A C; Lazzara, C P

This report describes laboratory studies conducted by the Bureau of Mines on the spontaneous combustion of U.S. coals. Approximately 11 pct of U.S. underground-coal-mine fires are attributed to spontaneous combustion. The relative self-heating tendencies of 24 coal samples were evaluated in an adiabatic heating oven. Minimum self-heating temperatures (SHT's) in the oven ranged from 35/sup 0/C for a lignite and high-volatile C bituminous coal, to 135/sup 0/C for two low-volatile bituminous coals. The minimum SHT's of two coals were determined, and the results were in good agreement with those found in the adiabatic oven. Finally, results of a test in the moderate-scale apparatus indicated a strong dependence of the self-heating rate of a low-rank coal on the moisture content of the air.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Pittsburgh Research Center
• OSTI ID: 6055355
• Report Number(s): PB-87-231619/XAB; BM-RI-9079
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012033* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Underground Mining-- Mine Environment-- (1987-)
BITUMINOUS COAL
BLACK COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COAL MINES
COMBUSTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FIRE HAZARDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HAZARDS
MATERIALS
MINES
MINING
OXIDATION
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
UNDERGROUND MINING